Citation

Turner MG, Phillips MD, Tigri HB, Williams MA, Hartman JL. Int. J. Offender Ther. Comp. Criminol. 2015; 60(8): 871-896.

Affiliation

University of North Carolina-Charlotte, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0306624X15573547

PMID

25733742

Abstract

Bullying is a significant public concern. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether being repeatedly victimized by a bully during childhood and adolescence is associated with gun carrying in adolescence and adulthood. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we found that just over one fourth of the respondents reported carrying a gun at some point in their lifetime. Respondents experiencing repeat bully victimizations reported higher rates of gun carrying during the last 12 months and the last 30 days. No support was found for the association of repeat bully victimizations and carrying a gun to school. Individuals victimized during childhood (before the age of 12) and during adolescence were found to be at risk of carrying a gun later in the life course. Repeat bully victimizations should be considered a marker for gun-carrying behaviors in adolescence and adulthood.

Language: en